System and Method for Automatically Producing Haptic Events from a Digital Audio Signal

1. A method comprising: receiving a representationally structured file comprising a plurality of audio channels that each comprise a plurality of audio events in a timeline; assigning, based on a first loop of the timeline, an event score for each of select audio events within the plurality of audio events in the plurality of audio channels; deriving, based on a second loop of the timeline, a total score for each of the plurality of audio channels based on respective event scores of the select audio events in the plurality of audio channels; designating at least one audio channel from the plurality of audio channels based on the total score for each of the plurality of audio channels; assigning a haptic event to each of the select audio events of the at least one audio channel based on the respective event scores of the select audio events of the at least one audio channel; outputting an output file that includes the haptic event along with accompanying audio data and is indicative of haptic parameters of the haptic event; and based on the output file, providing a playback of the haptic event to an actuator and in synchrony with a playback of a corresponding audio event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjacent haptic events are temporally spaced apart by a minimum time duration.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of audio events in the representationally structured file are notes in a musical piece.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising: determining whether a particular one of the plurality of audio events begins within a threshold time of an adjacent one of the plurality of audio events in a same one of the plurality of audio channels; and choosing, as one of the select audio events, which of the particular one and the adjacent one has a higher pitch when the particular one and the adjacent one are within the threshold time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event score is assigned based on a difference between a pitch of a current one of the plurality of audio events and a pitch of a previous one of the plurality audio events.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event score is assigned based on a difference in start times between a current one of the plurality of audio events and a previous one of the plurality audio events.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event score is assigned based upon a magnitude value of at least one of the plurality of audio events.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event score is assigned based upon a duration of at least one of the plurality of audio events.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event score is assigned based upon a change in duration between a particular one of the plurality of audio events and an adjacent one of the plurality of audio events.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the adjacent one of the plurality of audio events is previous to the particular one of the plurality of audio events in the timeline.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a duration of the haptic event to be greater than a minimum time duration and less than a maximum time duration.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event score is weighted based on an instrument playing one of the plurality of audio events in one of the plurality of audio channels.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event score for each of the plurality of events within a non-percussive one of the plurality of audio channels is assigned based upon a difference between a pitch of a current one of the plurality of audio events and a pitch of a previous one of the plurality of audio events.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement a method comprising: receiving a representationally structured file comprising a plurality of audio channels that each comprise a plurality of audio events in a timeline; assigning, based on a first loop of the timeline, an event score for each of select audio events within the plurality of audio events in the plurality of audio channels; deriving, based on a second loop of the timeline, a total score for each of the plurality of audio channels based on respective event scores of the select audio events in the plurality of audio channels; designating at least one audio channel from the plurality of audio channels based on the total score for each of the plurality of audio channels; assigning a haptic event to each of the select audio events of the at least one audio channel based on the respective event scores of the select audio events of the at least one audio channel; outputting an output file that includes the haptic event along with accompanying audio data and is indicative of haptic parameters of the haptic event; and based on the output file, providing a playback of the haptic event to an actuator and in synchrony with a playback of a corresponding audio event.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein adjacent haptic events are temporally spaced apart by a minimum time duration.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of audio events in the representationally structured file are notes in a musical piece.

17. An apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and comprising modules that, when executed by the processor: receive a representationally structured file comprising a plurality of audio channels that each comprise a plurality of audio events in a timeline; assign, based on a first loop of the timeline, an event score for each of select audio events within the plurality of audio events in the plurality of audio channels; derive, based on a second loop of the timeline, a total score for each of the plurality of audio channels based on respective event scores of the select audio events in the plurality of audio channels; designate at least one audio channel from the plurality of audio channels based on the total score for each of the plurality of audio channels; assign a haptic event to each of the select audio events of the at least one audio channel based on the respective event scores of the select audio events of the at least one audio channel; output an output file that includes the haptic event along with accompanying audio data and is indicative of haptic parameters of the haptic event; and based on the output file, provide a playback of the haptic event to an actuator and in synchrony with a playback of a corresponding audio event.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein adjacent haptic events are temporally spaced apart by a minimum time duration.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of audio events in the representationally structured file are notes in a musical piece.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the modules, when executed by the processor, further perform: determining whether a particular one of the plurality of audio events begins within a threshold time of an adjacent one of the plurality of audio events in a same one of the plurality of audio channels; and choosing, as one of the select audio events, which of the particular one and the adjacent one has a higher pitch when the particular one and the adjacent one are within the threshold time.